Daily Press from Newport News, Virginia • Page 68

14 Daily PressThe Times Herald, Friday, July 22, 1988 Top records ble disease infected Crowded House by staying miles away from this bleak dud. ROBERT PALMER HEAVY n( )vA and gusty vocals. "Heavy Nova" has something for everybody without compromising Palmer's high-class, articulate persona. What other middle-aged, well-dressed chart-buster would think to rhyme "mythical," "inscrutable" and A classy record that takes chances and generates a heat wave all its own. "Temple of the Low Men," Crowded House (Capitol, album).

On their 1987 debut, the members of Crowded House were such happy lads, singing of love so strong and hope eternal. Now they spend their days lurching through nightmares. Say goodbye to merry pop, hello to sophomore slump gone psychotic. "I Feel Possessed" starts the album on an eerie, down-beat note but only hints at the horrors to come. "Kill Eye" pounds with bleating keyboards and stinging guitar as singer Neil Finn prays for apocalypse: "I wanna be forgiven," he chants, "I want the earth to open up." The song ends with the sound of screeching bats.

"Into Temptation" is a gloomy meditation on desperation, guilt and the "wide open arms of hell." "When You Come" ends Side 1 on a rare positive note, celebrating the ecsta-cy and sanctuary of true love. Side 2 isn't as immediately morose. "Love This Life" is either a call to faith or a bitterly sarcastic swipe at naive optimism. "Sister Madly" employs finger-snapping jazz for a tale of skeletons in the closet and bodies in the backyard. "In the Lowlands" completes the band's nightmare with a full-blown vision of destruction: "Insects swarm in the lowlands," Finn gasps, "ghost cars on the freeway." You can avoid whatever terri Local hits This week's local Top 10 comes from pop station WNVZ (104.5 FM), courtesy of Music Director Cathy Cruise.

1. Do You Love Me, the Contours, Motown 2. Hands to Heaven, Breathe, 3. New Sensation, INXS, Atlantic 4. Hold on to the Nights, Richard Marx, EMI 5.

The Flame, Cheap Trick, Epic 6. Pour Some Sugar on Me, Def Leppard, Polygram 7. Roll With It, Steve Winwood, Virgin 8. Beds Are Burning, Midnight Oil, Columbia 9. Make Me Lose Control, Eric Carmen, Arista 10.

Rush Hour, Jane Wiedlin, EMI Billboard hits Best-selling records as listed this week in Billboard magazine: Singles 1. The Flame, Cheap Trick, Epic 2. Mercedes Boy, Pebbles, MCA 3. Pour Some Sugar on Me, Def Leppard, MercuryPolygram 4. New Sensation, INXS, Atlantic 5.

Hold on to the Nights, Richard Marx, EMI-Manhattan 6. Roll With It, Steve Winwood, Virgin 7. Nlte and Day, Al. B. Warner Bros.

8. Hands to Heaven, Breathe, 9. Make Me Lose Control, Eric Carmen, Arista 10. Nothln' But a Good Time, Poison, EnigmaCapitol Albums. 1.

OU812, Van Halen, Warner Bros. 2. Hysteria, Def Leppard, Mercury 3. Faith, George Michael, Columbia 4. Dirty Dancing, RCA 5.

Appetite for Destruction, Guns Roses, Geffen 6. Open Up and Say Ahhl, Poison, Enigma 7. Stronger Than Pride, Sade, EpicE.P.A. 8. Scenes From the Southside, Bruce Hornsby the Range, RCA 9.

Tracy Chapman, Tracy Chapman, Elektra 10. More Dirty Dancing, RCA Black singles 1. Roses Are Red, Mac BandMc-Campbells, MCA 2. Paradise, Sade, EpicE.P.A. 3.

Don't Be Cruel, Bobby Brown, MCA 4. The Right Stuff, Vanessa Williams, WingPolygram 5. II tt Isn't Love, New Edition, MCA 6. Sign Your Name, Terence Trent D'Arby, Columbia 7. I'll Prove It to You, Gregory Abbot, Columbia 8.

Off on Your Own, Al. B. Sure, Warner Bros. 9. I'm Real, James Brown, Scotti Bros.E.P.A.

10. Mamacita, Troop, Atlantic Country singles 1. If You Change Your Mind, Ro- sanne Cash, Columbia 2. Set 'Em Up Joe, Vern Gosdin, Columbia 3. Fallln' Again, Alabama, RCA 4.

Talkln' to the Wrong Man, MurpheyMurphey, Warner Bros. 5. Don't We All Have the Ricky Van Shelton, ColumbiaCBS 6. Don't Close Your Eyes, Keith Whitley, RCA 7. Baby Blue, George Strait, MCA 8.

Sunday Kind of Love, Reba McEntire, MCA 9. Just One Kiss, Exile. CBS Records 10. Bluest Eyes in Texas, Restless Heart, RCA Eddy and Joe' live it up By Billy Warden Staff writer "Joe Knows How to Live," Eddy Raven (RCA, single). When every pore on your body sweats, when every bone aches, wouldn't a quick trip to the beach be terrific? Eddy Raven's pal Joe specializes in impromptu blasts of fun, and this quickwitted, ultra-catchy tune tells his tale.

Over a countrified Caribbean sway, Raven says Joe won't be at the factory this morning; somebody saw him in his Cadillac headed for Mexico with "Betty the waitress in the backseat." Raven's salty baritone is perfect; he sounds both weary and titillated. When he conveys Joe's life credo, his voice lifts wistfully, "Women were made to love Money is made to spend Life is something, buddy You will never live again." The Jimmy Buffett-styled music paints Joe as a free-wheeling cartoon. When the guitar solo -breezes in, it's easy to see him frolicking on a Mexican beach, wagging his tongue and living it up. Raven's sure-fire hit proves that if fun guys don't finish first, at least they end up with a smile on their face. Gospel on the go By Billy Warden Staff writer WZAM (11 10 hoping solid programming and amazing grace will combine to make gospel the hot new ticket on Hampton Roads radio.

Maryland-based Nova Broadcasting bought the station last month for $500,000 from James River Broadcasting. Though WZAM has been gospel for the past two years, Nova president Steve Brisker has almost revolutionary plans in store. "We're setting out to create a network of high-powered, professionally run gospel stations," said Brisker, who already owns several gospel stations around the country. 'Traditionally, gospel stations have been low-powered, poorly run places. We want to give gospel a new face.

We want to bring it up to FM standards and be as competitive as any radio station in the market." Brisker plans to win with a format almost identical to secular stations: Drive -time will feature news, "The Gift," the McCarters (Warner album). Meet the McCarters, three sisters from the Tennessee mountains who look exactly alike and sing some of the tightest traditional harmonies in the land. "Flower in the Dessert" is the sisters' best cut, showcasing their rich, articulate style and emotional undercurrent. Most of the songs on "The Gift" focus on the sisters' vocals, leaving room to spotlight only a single element of the music. The lonesome, Mexican-flavored guitar picking stands out on "Where Would That Leave while a fiddle lights up "Timeless and True Love." The McCarters' deep spirituality gives the record an almost gospel feel.

"There's a place for every purpose, every feeling that is known," they recite on the gently waltzing "Loving You." Is it religion or just homespun wisdom? Maybe the reassuring words are the sisters' way of dealing with love gone sour. "I try and try, but every man that I have taken has led me to quiet desperation," they sigh on "Quiet Desperation." Sincerity, mystery and disciplined, homespun talent make "The Gift" a real prize. Sneed thinks his new boss is on the right track. "Gospel is beginning to catch on. People are excited about Jesse Jackson and new gospel acts," he said.

"Gospel radio is where country radio was about three years ago." FM WHOV 88.3(H), jazz WHRO 89.5 (N), opera, jazz, classical. NPR WFOS 90.3(C), classical WCWM 90.7 (W), variety WOFM 92.1 (C), rock WFOG 92.9 (Suffolk), easy listening WMYK 93.7 (Elizabeth City), urban contemporary WKEZ94.1 (Y), country WJQI 94.9 (VB), soft adult contemporary WLTY 95.7 (N), adult contemporary WQSF 96.5 (W), easy listening WGH 97.3 (NN), pop WNOR 98.7 (N), rock WYFI 99.7 (C), Christian WCMS 100.5 (N), country WWDE 101 .3 (H), adutt contemporary WOWI 102.9 (N). urban contemporary WNVZ 104.5 (N), pop WXR1 105 3 (P), Christian WSKX 106.9 (Suffolk), country "Heavy Nova," Robert Palmer (EMI-Manhattan, album). The killer cut on R.P.'s dandy new album isn't anything you'll hear on the radio. It's "Change His Ways," a daffy Cajun ditty complete with yapping accordi-an, squealing fiddle and a deep, pulsating beat.

Palmer spins a strange story of jungle romance with yodeling gusto. The song's spirit inspires much of the album, including the tribal thunder of "Disturbing Behavior" and "Early in. the Morning." When he's not exploring primal urgency, Palmer wades through the dreamy, creamy side of life. "It Could Happen to You" recalls the lush, string-laden pop of young Frank Sinatra. Palmer follows up with the shimmering "She Makes My Day" and "Between Us." "Simply Irresistible" captures the bulldozer bump and grind of "Addicted to Love" without sounding like a rip-off.

"Casting a Spell" is a tornado of dance hooks, hammering beats weather and music from popular gospel acts like the Wynans and Shirley Caesar. Bible study and ministry programs will be featured primarily on weekends. "On weekdays we will be just like any other music format station, but our music will be gospel," Brisker said. "On weekends we will not be selling air time to any minister that comes along with a show. We will closely examine the teachings of every minister." Brisker plans to create a sizable cash flow by soliciting advertising from companies like Sears and Kentucky Fried Chicken while rejecting ads for alcohol and lottery tie-ins.

With a firm economic base, Brisker predicts WZAM will be one of Hampton Roads' 10 most listened-to stations within two years. The area is a hotbed of gospel interest," Brisker said. "We are going to give them a quality station. We will take listeners from other gospel stations, and we will share listeners with urban formats. Urban listeners always have had gospel leanings." WZAM's main competition will come from WPCE (1400 AM), the current leader among Hampton Roads' handful of gospel stations.

Doc Christian, WPCE's program director, said he welcomes Brisker's ambitious plans. "Among inspira- tional stations thereu somecemrjet stations itiveness, but mostly we focus on fellowship," Christian said. "I'll help WZAM all I can. We at WPCE want all the listeners we can get, and business is business, but the fact is, we need more gospel stations." WZAM Program Director Byron AM WMBG 740 (W), news. Top 40 WTAR 790 (N), oldies.

CBS news WNIS 850 (P). NBC news, talk WKGM 940 (Smithfield); Christian, SRN WPMH 1010 (P), Christian, MBS WCMS 1050 (N). country, ABC WZAM 1110 (N), Christian, talk WNOR 1230 (N), rock WTJ21 270 (NN), Christian WGH 1310 (NN), pop, sports WRAP 1350 (N), urban contemporary WPCE 1 400 (P). Christian WDDY 1420(G), country WLPM 1450 (Suffolk), oldies WPEX1490 (H), oldies WVAB 1 550 (VB), beach music WJOI 1600 (VB). soft adult Radio.